In conventional sewage treatment, nitrogenous components in the sewage are generally converted to nitrates and to nitrites. The removal of these resultant compounds from the sewage effluent has not, until recent times, been of serious concern. Recent emphasis on ecological balance and pollution control has, however, suggested that a serious problem exists by virtue of the discharge of such nitrogen compounds in treated sewage effluent into streams and rivers because these, as well as phosphates, act as fertilizers and encourage noxious biological activity in the downstream bodies of water.
Processes whereby the sewage effluent is basified to a pH of greater than 10 and the nitrogen compounds stripped from the waste water by blowing air through the basified effluent as well as processes whereby the effluent is subjected to ion exchange resin contact are known, but are economically undesirable. The use of a bacteriogically activated media for removing such nitrogen compounds has also been generally proposed, but the influent to such media must be of a highly clarified nature or plugging of the media results.